Onion Soup

The Very Best French Onion Soup Recipes

French onion soup is a beef broth and onion based soup, which is traditionally served with cheese and croutons on top. This is an ancient dish, which has been enjoyed for centuries, but it because especially popular in the United States in the 1960s when French cooking started to become popular on both sides of the Atlantic.

French onion soup and other types of onion soup make a very popular appetizer, lunch or even dinner. You might have thought there were only a couple of ways to make an onion soup recipe but there are in fact hundreds of different ways to make onion soup.

If you are new to soup making, you might appreciate a recipe for an easy French onion soup. Also, if you like the basic flavor of French onion soup cheese, fruit, and all kinds of herbs and spices can be used for a special flavor.

Onion Soup Recipes for Everyone

You might like to make a traditional French style onion soup with a big cheese crouton on top, flavored subtly with garlic, parsley and thyme or what about a healthy broccoli and French onion soup or a gourmet French onion soup with wine, Madeira or port?

If you like both onions and soups, there is bound to be an ideal onion soup recipe for you, whether it is thick or thin, basic or spicy and sweet or savory. There are lots of different toppings for onion soup too. You do not have to serve it in the traditional French style with a cheese topped slice of French bread on top of the soup.

Making Authentic Onion Soup Recipes at Home

French onion soup is easy to make at home and you can either make it for occasions when you have guests coming over or for the family. French onion soup is healthy and economical to make and the whole family will love it.

You do not need any special equipment to make your own onion soup and there are onion soup recipes for the stove, grill, broiler, and even the crockpot.

Onion Soup through History

Onion soup recipes have been made at least as far back as the ancient Roman and Greek times. Onion soup was seen as poor people’s food since onions were cheap and easy to grow. Onions were fried, baked, and boiled in many Old World recipes and they were believed to have restorative powers.

More modern French onion soup recipes originated in eighteenth century France and they were made with caramelized onions and beef broth. The beef broth in the early recipes would have been made from beef bones, beef meat, and fresh vegetables but nowadays we can use a beef bouillon cube for a similar, yet not quite as authentic, flavor.

French onion soup can be finished off in a ramekin under the broiler, with gruyere cheese and croutons on top. The modern French onion soup recipe we enjoy today is a direct descendant of seventeenth century French bouillon.

The Easiest Onion Soup Recipes

Onion soup is one of the easiest soup recipes to make and even basic onion soup recipes are delicious because the beef broth and onion alone have plenty of flavor to offer, without seasonings, herbs, or spices being necessary to give taste.

If you want to add herbs, spices, port wine, Madeira wine or something else, for some flavor, go right ahead. Onion soup goes nicely with all kinds of other flavors and the sky is the limit with what you add to the basic onion soup recipe.

So, enjoy browsing our extensive collection of the best onion and French onion soup recipes ever and happy cooking!